Want your organization, your department, your group, to be the very best it can be?

Start by identifying the criteria that constitute “best,” and then consider whether your leadership provides observable evidence of those criteria.

1. Leaders must be agile.

Speed of responsiveness is a competitive distinction. It requires moment-by-moment deductive reasoning, real-time monitoring of events and trends, and the ability to anticipate what’s coming next before others even recognize the indicators.

Organizational agility, however, is not synonymous with agile leadership.

Are you subordinating effectiveness to the existing structure? Insisting on certainty before taking any risk? Impeding change because you’re comfortable with the current state?

Unity isn’t cognitive. Even if borne of shared belief, unity is an emotional state, and is palpable. It is built not through dogma or a series of completed transactions, but through a quality of leadership that resonates with those being led.

Are you striving for mere compliance from your employees?

Instead, resolve to lead in a way elicits their voluntary, unified commitment.

Assuming you have an intranet, are you regularly featuring employee accomplishments? Is there an employee “bulletin board”?

If not, you have an employee base; not a community.

5. Increase levity.

Humor is the weapon of the powerful relationships. Are you alert to and actively seeking “the lighter side”?

Nothing shows more confidence under dire circumstances than a moment of wit or an amusing perspective; so long as it’s not at anyone’s expense. Recognize the rallying effect of humor, and use it as the powerful leadership tool it is.

Resolve to laugh at yourself at least once daily; or better yet, share a laugh about yourself with a different staff member every day.

This isn’t the end of my list. Look for Part II of this post to come your way soon, with five more tips on being a better leader.

Francie Dalton, CMC, is founder and president of Dalton Alliances, Inc.and author of the recently published book Versatility. Her Washington, DC based consultancy helps the C-Suite solve business nightmares. Francie equips clients to deal with what they didn’t see coming (and shows them there’s always another way to win!). She welcomes a chance to meet you via Twitter or on LinkedIn.

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